Media | Badaling Great Wall

These “legal” and restored sections of the Wall are Juyongguan, Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng ( certain sections opened) and Simatai. Jiankou is not open to common tourists due to their wildness and treacherousness.
If you don’t have much time, but you still want to have a glimpse of the Wall, especially on a busy day, choose Juyongguan Great Wall.
Jiankou Great Wall is forbidden to hike according to the official rule and regulations concerned. Hikers are responsible for their own safety while hiking Jiankou Great Wall.
If you want to hike the wild and original sections of the Wall (half restored or unrestored), go to visit Shixiagan Great Wall, Jiankou Great Wall, Jinshanling Great Wall, Gubeikou Great Wall, Huanghuacheng Great Wall and Simatai Great Wall or put them together.
If you want to visit the Wall with beautiful green scenery and environment ( travel with kids or seniors), visit Mutianyu Great Wall.
If you want to see the most popular and gorgeous restored section of the Wall in Beijing, go to Badaling Great Wall.
Both Badaling Great Wall and Mutianyu Great Wall are wheelchair-friendly. On the Badaling Great Wall, a special flat lane is built for wheelchair users to get to the third watch tower of the Great Wall.
Even two elevators are equipped for easy ascending the wall if you book the elevator service in advance.

Badaling — the most popular section
the summer scenery of the Great Wall at Badaling Section. The Badaling section of the Great Wall is always full of tourists, especially at weekends and in the holidays.
carDistance from Beijing:72 kilometers (45 miles),2 hours
Great Wall picture Restoration:From 1953
Clock Open:Summer: 6:30am–7pm; Winter: 7am–6pm.
Great Wall hiking Features:This section of the Great Wall has been open to the public the longest (since 1957, after some restoration work). It is the best preserved and the most popular of all the sections. It commands fine views of mountain scenery below, and has been visited by over 300 world celebrities such as Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher.
hotel Facilities:Cable cars, Great Wall Museum, a circular-screen cinema, shopping and dining facilities, and some wheelchair access.
clock Typical tour time:2 hours (3 hours in the peak season)
Knife and fork eating :Badaling Hotel Restaurant, McDonald's, Yonghe King, Great Wall Commune Restaurant, and Jindian Friendship Restaurant.
Hotels:Badaling Hotel and Great Wall Commune.
Camera Activities: Walking tours of the Wall, Badaling Great Wall Red Leaves Ecological Festival
The Badaling section of the Great Wall is the best preserved and the most popular one amongst all the sections. It is more than 1,000 meters (3281 Ft) above sea level, and commands a strategic position for transportation and defense in ancient times.
Badaling, literally meaning "reach eight directions", got its name because the maze of its ridges stretches in all directions. It is easily accessible and has easy walking conditions. About 370 state leaders and VIPs have climbed Badaling and admired the magnificence and beauty of its scenery.
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In 221 BC, the Emperor Qin absorbed the other six states and set up the first unified kingdom in Chinese history. In order to strengthen his newly born authority and defend the Huns in the north, he ordered connecting the walls once built by the other states as well as adding some sections of his own. Thus was formed the long Qin's Great Wall which started from the east of today's Liaoning Province and ended at Lintao, Gansu Province.
Badaling is most visited section and a place to experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall, a priceless heritage left by Chinese ancestry and then a jade factory. Can you imagine how people of ancient China labored at such a great project with their hands alone? Without modern machinery, equipment and construction materials, the Wall was well designed and built following local geographical features. As you stand on the Wall and see its grandness, you will find it is no wonder that the Great Wall has the vigor to surprise the whole world.
The winding Great Wall is not merely a wall but instead a complete and rigorous defense project composed of countless passes, watchtowers, garrison towns, beacon towers and blockhouses. These fortifications were arranged in certain ways under the control of the military command system at all levels. For example, there were about 1,000,000 soldiers guarding the Ming's Great Wall.
There are public transportation to reach each section of the Great Wall or you can go for another option by choosing taxi over bus. Taxi will take lesser time than bus as bus stops at each station for atleat 2-5 minutes.
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After the restoration of the wall in the last century, the wall has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Every traveller to China wants to have a glimpse of this snaking man made wonder, that has withstood ravages of time and weather to emerge as a symbol of resurgent China. The walls, known as Changcheng literally "long walls", but often translated as "Great Wall" were mostly constructed of tampered earth, with some parts built with stones. Where natural barriers like ravines and rivers were sufficient for defence, the walls were erected sparingly, but long fortified lines were laid where such advantageous terrains did not exist. Often in addition to the wall, the defensive system included garrisons and beacon towers inside the wall, and watchtowers outside at regular intervals. In terms of defence, the walls were generally effective at countering cavalry shock tactics, but there are doubts as to whether these early walls were actually defensive in nature. Sinologists points out that the northern frontier walls were built far to the north and included traditionally nomadic lands, and so rather than being defensive, the walls indicate the northward expansions of the three northern states and their desire to safeguard their recent territorial acquisitions. This theory is supported by the archeological discovery of nomadic artifacts within the walls, suggesting the presence of pre-existing or conquered barbarian societies. It is entirely possible, as Western scholars like di Cosmo and Lattimore suggest, that nomadic aggression against the Chinese in the coming centuries was partly caused by Chinese expansionism during the earlier period.
Although a useful deterrent against raids, at several points throughout its history the Great Wall failed to stop enemies, including in 1644 when the Manchu Qing marched through the gates of Shanhai Pass and replaced the most ardent of the wall-building dynasties, the Ming, as rulers of China.
Many celebrities from Hollywood like Tom Cruise have visited The Great Wall of China. All important world leaders visiting China make it a point to visit the Wall. It's stature as a national symbol of strength and resistance is unparalleled. Coupled with its beauty and grandeur, this is a must visit site. ...

On July 7, 2007 approximately 100 million people around the globe cast their ballots by telephone and Internet, to declare that ‘The Great Wall of China’ was to be one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World. This massive structure that has been a symbol of China for more than 2000 years is the country’s prime symbol and historic landmark.
The Great Wall of China is an iconic image and symbol of china to the outside world. Any foreigner visiting china makes a point to see and climb a few steps of this gigantic man-made marvel. There is famous saying in China in the words of legendary Mao Zedong – ‘ If we fail to reach the Great Wall we are not men’. But this world wonder site has often been termed satirically as the ‘The Great Wall of People’ signifying the swarm of tourists, local and foreign, paying their visit to be a part of the special club who could say – ‘I climbed the Great Wall’. Most infamous for its puffing crowd is the Badaling section, which is the closest to Beijing and the most easily accessible section of the great Wall open to the tourists near the capital. On a holiday, it has been observed that the number of visitors would be so alarming that when you bring pictures from the Great Wall, you end up with more tourists/people sharing the photo space than the actual wall. Hence it would eventually be the Great Wall of people you ended up at.
Turning and twisting, the Great Wall averages in most places 8 m (26 ft) high and 6m (20 ft) wide and was once crowned with some 25,000 towers. Like a giant snake, it winds its way for 6,000 km (3,750 mi) from east to west through five provinces, running along high mountain ridges, valleys, deserts and grasslands and was built as a defense barrier to ward off tribal nomads from the north.
However, despite its cultural significance, only parts of the Wall remain. In places, sections of the Walls have disappeared through neglect or they have been razed, roadways have been cut through the Wall, and other parts became the source of building materials for peasant farmers. Yet, the Wall continues to draw millions of tourists who come to marvel at this stunning witness to Chinese history.
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To hike on the Great Wall of China can be an engaging and fulfilling activity for tourists and locals alike. Jiankou is the (Most Photographed Section) to Mutianyu (Largest Restored Section) is a 5 hours, 10 km hike.
You will experience the original Great Wall at Jiankou and the restored Great Wall at Mutianyu. Built along the rolling ridgeline, the hoary walls and the verdant vegetation set each section off from the other, offering graceful scenery in bargain.
one can reach the foothill startng point on a bus, bike, metro or a private taxi as per ones' choice, after breakfast. Drive to the to the foot of Jiankou. Your hike will begin at Xizhazi Village, a small village at the foot of the mountain.
Built with local material — hoary dolomite, the Great Wall at Jiankou is eye-catching from a distance. Zhengbei Building, a nearly-intact watchtower standing at the peak of Jiankou, will offer you a panoramic view of the beauty of Jiankou.
Continue your hike eastwards. After the challenging walk on the original rugged steps and broken wall, you will arrive at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. There you will enjoy a leisurely walk on fully-restored Great Wall. You can try the fun toboggan down the mountain instead of hiking downhill or taking a cable car.
Enjoy a picnic lunch and stay a night at a local farmer’s guesthouse at Simatai New Village if you so desire.
Be sure to bring your walking shoes and make sure you are in good health and shape to climb the stairs. There are 3 sections of the wall you can choose from.Take the second or mid section. This is the highest point of the Great Wall and the easiest to climb as you walk on top of the flat surface. There are some steep areas. But these are the best pictures you'll see of all areas of the wall in every direction.
What's the trail condition like?
There are paths, steps, trails covered with fallen leaves, firm sections, brick sections to a few sections with loose bricks and dusty areas with small stones, to partly repaired or restored, original and crumbling. Generally, the condition is a pleasant surprise to most hikers.We recommend you use walking boots that offer support and protection from loose bricks or rocks that your feet might kick. The sole is best to be non-slip in case of rain. ...

Its hard not to be impressed with Beijing. Every time every visitor is struck by something new. Usually it has to do with the grand scale of the city. It has grandest palaces, parks, lakes, and edifices of yore. Modern Beijing too has grand national stadium, grand airport, CCTV tower, grand Tiananmen courtyards and grand city.
This is a bus stop scene on the road to the Great Wall.
The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from northern invaders. The first sections were built in the Seventh Century BC when China was still divided into many small states.
The construction of the Great Wall continued until the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644). Now, in the PRC era, several sections of the wall have been restored as tourist attractions and in other places the wall is quite original. Many hiking tours are also organized for enthusiasts to explore the terrain themselves.
These Great Wall hiking routes covers the wild, ruined, rugged, preserved, original, and restored sections. The Jiankou section is the most challenging, followed by the section from Gubeikou to Simatai West. Hiking on the wild Great Wall allows you to photograph the original and authentic walls. The most photographed Great Wall sections are Jiankou, Jinshanling, and Simatai. Do not miss the panoramic views and varied gradients. By observing the different bricks and materials one can learn about the fortifications in ancient China.
Simatai, one of the few sections of the Great Wall accessible from Beijing, retains original features from the Ming Dynasty. It is less crowded but harder to get to, 120 kilometers north of the capital city.
While there are gondolas to help you ascend the wall, on average the experience here is more authentic. The hike is steep, and there are dangers — the wall jumps from peak to peak, and high winds threaten tourists who try to scale its multiple summits.
Erosion around the wall (caused by goats eating vegetation) has resulted in the destruction of some sections. ...

The greatest tourist attraction in China is without doubt, The Great Wall of China. It is one of the most magnificent and greatest man made sights in the world. Being the longest wall in the world, it is an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive construction. Its winding path over rugged country and steep mountain slopes makes for some great scenery. Great Wall of China, is one of the world seven wonders. Located in China, a part of it can be accessed from the capital city of Beijing. It
is enlisted in the World Heritage Directory by UNESCO. This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain and safeguard the inhabitants from Mongol invaders. It spans over five provinces from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west, looking like a gigantic dragon across deserts, grasslands and mountains. In the downtown area of Beijing, it is possible to hike the Great Wall of China. About
one hour drive from Beijing is the famous sections of the Great Wall. The Wall may be hiked by walking, bus taxi or even a chopper ride. A helicopter ride is totally different from other ways of visiting the Great Wall. In a helicopter you can see the magnificent ancient wall from multiple angles, lying on the sinuous mountain ridges like a huge dragon's backbone. After
around three hours' drive from Badaling to Gubeikou, one can have a wonderful meal on the Great Wall while appreciating the beautiful and romantic sunset at Gubeikou. Further you can set up your camp there and spend a night on the Great Wall like the Chinese soldiers of yore.
Trekking from Gubeikou to Jinshanling (around 5 hours), you can explore the real Great Wall of China, which still remains, wild and original. There are several ancient villages around Gubeikou. Hiking along this route, you can pass by a number of watchtowers and passes. It is a favorite choice for outdoor enthusiasts.
Do plan your trip to the Great Wall along these routes.
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Mutianyu Great Wall is strategically located and has a very compact layout in granite. This section of the Wall also has some breathtakingly majestic scenery of the mountains. Dense woods cover over ninety six percent of the total scenic area. The Great Wall presents kaleidoscopic colours in the four seasons. Flowers blossoms cover the entire route in spring, the summers dress the hills green with lush grasses. Trees are laden with sweet fruits in autumn. Especially in October, the leaves turn orange or red giving a golden hue to the mountains in sunlight. In winter, the mountains get drenched in snow. Pine trees majestically stand guard at the Mutianyu section of the Wall. There are spring water reservoirs at the foot of the hills. The water from this is pure and fragrant.
In Mutianyu village, there are fish farms and restaurants, so one can fish out one's own trout from the pond and have it cooked up for lunch.
The Great Wall was key to protecting agriculture and resisting cavalry of the Huns and other warrior tribes from the north. The advantages of the enormous barrier diminished with the advancement of gunpowder and other weaponry.
The Great Wall was originally built of stone, wood, grass and earth. In the Ming Dynasty, bricks were produced in kilns set up along the wall. The bricks were transported by men carrying them on their backs, donkeys, mules and even goats had a brick tied to their head before being driven up a mountain.
Construction on the first section began between the 7th and 6th century BC, and the last work on the wall was done between the 14th and 17th centuries.
But this most visited part of the wall, Mutianyu , is an unabashed tourist trap. The tour group buses line up for miles, and guides with megaphones and matching red hats line up for hours to gain access to the wall.
Alternatively, with more time and money, you can head to Huang Hua, where you’ll see an un-repaired section of the wall complete with crumbled sections and whole portions that have eroded into rocky paths. A hard but rewarding climb, you’ll have a view of what the Great Wall looks like, unkempt and largely untouched by modernity.
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As one of the six ancient cities in China, it has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history and consequently there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travelers as they explore the city's ancient past and exciting modern development. Now it has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with about 140 million Chinese tourists and 4.4 million international visitors in a year.
If you want to experience the culture and enjoy the beauty of the Great Wall, meandering along the bricks of the Badaling is your first choice. It is famous for its deep-rooted culture, magnificent sights and complete military facilities - the essence of the Great Wall. You may find many pictures of it in magazines and guide books and printed on stamps. Being the must-see section of the Great Wall, it is sometimes flocked with visitors especially during holidays.
There are 22 watch towers distributed at close intervals along the wall. They are located not only in the main wall but also at the distinctive 'branch cities'. Branch cities are built on the hill ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall.
There are subways and rental taxis to reach sections of The Great Wall in short time . One can opt for public transports to visit antique places in Beijing . ...

The Great Wall, constructed between 221 B.C. and A.D. 1644, spans 5,500 miles. It originally was built as a defense against the Mongols and today provides unity to the country and continues to amaze visitors from all over the world. The Silk Road has a history as ancient as the Great Wall. This trade route began in 206 B.C. during the Han dynasty and played an important role in intercultural trade until the end of the Yuan dynasty in 1368.
The Great Wall of China was built as a line of defense to protect the country from invaders. The wall was begun in during the Qin dynasty between 221 and 207 B.C. Work continued during the Han dynasty but ceased in A.D. 220, and construction languished for a thousand years. With the threat of Genghis Khan, the project resumed in 1115. During the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644), the wall was reinforced with stone and brick.
Despite the immense building and intimidating size of the wall, it wasn’t enough to keep invaders away. The Mongols were able to ride right through gaps in the wall, and later, the Manchus overtook the Ming dynasty by riding through the gates that traitor Gen. Wu Sangui opened.
The Great Wall is rumored to have been constructed with mud, bricks, stones and the bones of the workers who toiled day after day to build it. The first wall, constructed under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, was built by hundreds of thousands of political prisoners over the course of 10 years. During the Ming dynasty, when workers were frantic to reinforce the wall to keep out the Manchus, it is estimated that 2 million to 3 million Chinese workers perished.
People who love ancient arts and historic buildings should take a visit of The Great Wall once in a life . The sections of the wall are raw and new for one to experience . ...

The Jiankou is constructed of large white hill rocks which makes it very noticeable from a distance. The major section of this Great Wall is built along a mountain ridge with large cliffs on each side, and due to the lack of repairs, it is now one of the most dangerous sections of the entire Great Wall.
There are several scenic sites that tourists must see, one of which is the enemy observation tower known as The Eagle Flies Facing Upward. This observation tower appears extremely high as it was built on a mountain which forms the highest section of the Jiankou Great Wall. Therefore, when an eagle flies there, it can only do so facing upwards before reaching the top of the tower.
Jiankou Great Wall can be accessed from either the south side or the north side. The south side is much easier to reach from Beijing, but the climb up to the Wall is much longer and steeper. The north side is a longer route from Beijing but provides much easier access to the Wall and also allows you to reach more places on the Jiankou Wall rather than just one or two choices.
Jiankou Great Wall is one of the best places for a serious Great Wall enthusiast. It has a wide variety of places to climb. It has terrific scenery and offers great opportunities for photographers. It's reasonably close to Beijing. And as the eastern meeting point of the inner and outer Ming Walls, it connects to long stretches of Great Wall in three directions.
Beijing Jiankou Great WallThe Sky Stairs is another famous scenic spot. At this location of the Wall the stairs go practically straight up, and they are so narrow that it is barely possible to obtain a foothold.
Other scenic areas include the Beijing Knot (the meeting point for three different converging sections of the Great Wall); the Nine-Eye Tower (a watchtower with 9 holes like eyes); the Zhengbei Tower (a good place to watch the sunrise and the sunset) and, the Cloud Stairs (a section of the Jiankou Great Wall which rises like a staircase into the white clouds), and many other enemy observation towers. ...

Badaling Great Wall

by Joanna Shaoqing

These “legal” and restored sections of the Wall are Juyongguan, Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng ( certain sections opened) and Simatai. Jiankou is not open to common tourists due to their wildness and treacherousness.

If you don’t have much time, but you still want to have a glimpse of the Wall, especially on a busy day, choose Juyongguan Great Wall.
Jiankou Great Wall is forbidden to hike according to the official rule and regulations concerned. Hikers are responsible for their own safety while hiking Jiankou Great Wall.
If you want to hike the wild and original sections of the Wall (half restored or unrestored), go to visit Shixiagan Great Wall, Jiankou Great Wall, Jinshanling Great Wall, Gubeikou Great Wall, Huanghuacheng Great Wall and Simatai Great Wall or put them together.
If you want to visit the Wall with beautiful green scenery and environment ( travel with kids or seniors), visit Mutianyu Great Wall.
If you want to see the most popular and gorgeous restored section of the Wall in Beijing, go to Badaling Great Wall.
Both Badaling Great Wall and Mutianyu Great Wall are wheelchair-friendly. On the Badaling Great Wall, a special flat lane is built for wheelchair users to get to the third watch tower of the Great Wall.
Even two elevators are equipped for easy ascending the wall if you book the elevator service in advance.